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| Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola |
He is popularly called the Prince of Okuku land in Odo-Otin local government area of Osun State, because he is royalty.
His father, Moses Oyewole Oyinlola, was the traditional ruler of Okuku, reigning from 1934 to 1960.
In 2002, while reeling up his political machinery for the Senate seat of Osun Central Senatorial District, he was drafted to vie for the governorship slot of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
The lot fell on him and he eventually flew the PDP flag and won the 2003 and 2007 governorship election respectively.
Since then, the image of the erstwhile governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola loomed large in the state until November 26, 2010 when the Court of Appeal quashed his tenure in office with the affirmation of Rauf Aregbesola as the winner of the 2007 election.
Oyinlola soon bounced back to relevance when he was ‘elected’ the PDP national secretary but was soon shown the way out.
He sought redress from the court which upturned his removal but the leadership of the PDP, in collaboration with the presidency, failed to reinstate the Prince of Okuku.
During the electioneering campaigns of Osun State, Oyinlola maintained a low profile.
He refused to throw his weight around for his one time ally, Senator Iyiola Omisore, the PDP candidate.
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| Former governor of Osun state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola at court 1, unit 008 in Okuku during election in Osun state. |
At the APC mega rally last Tuesday, Oyinlola finally dumped the PDP, to pitch his tent with the camp of his onetime arch foe, Rauf Aregbesola.
Losing Okuku
In Okuku, the governorship election took a new twist.
The Prince who defected from the PDP to the APC four days to the election, was unable to win his polling booth for his new party as he lost to the PDP in his ward and polling unit.
Not many would have expected that Oyinlola would fail to deliver his town for the APC.
The PDP candidate, Omisore pulled on strongly in Okuku.
Vanguard gathered at his Ward One Unit 3 opposite old National Bank that the former governor lost due to some obvious reasons.
Reasons he lost
One main factor that led to Oyinlola’s dismal performance was his leaving the PDP at the 11th hour.
His defection took many of his supporters by surprise as not many had expected him to jump ship to the APC.
Also, his failure to carry his people along on his political journey made the protest vote feasible.
Again, the alleged inducement of voters by the PDP in the day of the election, gave the PDP an edge over the APC in Okuku.
There was unconfirmed report in Okuku that Oyinlola’s wife, Mrs Omolola Oyinlola still has sympathies with the PDP and that the strong presence of the PDP still looms large in Okuku.
A leader of the party in Okuku, who pleaded anonymity, told Vanguard that they decided to vote for the PDP because “we told our brother that he cannot win.”
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